Liquid feeding system



Nov. l?, 1942. L, D, JONES 2,302,553

LIQUID FEEDING SYSTEM Filed Dec. 31, 1940 Morale Leo D Jcmes BYML ATTORNE Y I I N VEN TOR Patented Nov. 17, 1942 LIQUID FEEDING SYSTEM LeoD. Jones, Philadelphia, Pa., assigner to The Sharples Corporation,Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation oiLDelaware Application December 31,1940, serial No. 372,458

e 5 Claims.

The present invention pertains to a liquid feeding system. It wasdeveloped as a solution of certain problems encountered in the use ofproportioning apparatus of the type illustrated in the applicants priorPatents 2,009,890 and 2,058,889, and it will accordingly be describedwith reference to those patents and those problems.

One of the-principal uses of the apparatus of Patents 2,009,890 and'2,058,889 has been that of effecting proportionate feed between an oiland a reagent. In this and analogous uses, the liquid to be treated isfed in a steady stream through a reciprocated fluid actuated meter, andthe treating liquid is fed in intermittent impulses controlled by flowof the liquid to be treated through the meter. While such a system issatisfactory in cases in which both liquids are fed to a. relativelylarge mixing chamber, it results in irregular treatment in cases inwhich attempts are made to effect such treatment in mixing apparatus ofrelatively small cross section. A feature of the present inventionconsists in the'fact that it provides an arrangement by which a liquid,fed in` intermittent impulses as in the systems of the above-mentionedpatents, may have these intermittent impulses smoothed out and convertedinto continuous flow. While the present invention is useful, regardlessof whether the use occurs in a proportioning apparatus or some otherconnection in which it is desirable to convert intermittent flow tocontinuous flow, the above explanation is made for the purpose ofindicating one important fleld of use in which it may be applied.

Figure 1 is a partly diagrammatic side elevation illustrating thepreferred arrangement of the present invention, and

Figure 2 is a detailed cross sectional view of parts of the apparatus.

For the sake of convenience of description, it will be assumed that theinvention is applied to the proportionate feed of oil and liquidreagent. The oil is fed continuously through conduit I0 by a pump orother suitable source of energy, and passesv through a metering device II, which controls the intermittent feed of reagent through conduit I2.The intermittent feed of reagent may be controlled by a valve, which isin turn controlled by theA meter I I, as taught in my prior Patent2,058,889, but this control is preferably effected by a reciprocatingfluid pressure motor I3 which drives a reciprocating pump I4, which inturn impels reagent intermittently through the conduit I2, as taught inmy prior Patent 2,009,890. In any case, the reagent in the conduit I2 isfed in a series of intermittent impulses, and the frequency of su-chimpulses is determined by the rate o'f reciprocation of the pistons inthe meter I I, as

taught in my two prior patents discussed above.

The effect. of the features of the present invention described above isto cause continuous feed of oil through the conduit I0 toward the mixingzone I5 and intermittent feed of alkali through the conduit I2 towardthis same mixing zone. If the intermittent feed of the reagent wereallowed to proceedthrough the conduit I2 to the zone I5, the effectwould be to cause over-dosage of oil during intervals atewhich the pumpI4 is acting to impel reagent through the conduit I2 and under-dosage atother times in the cycle of operation of the pump I4. The presentinvention provides apparatus for smoothing out the intermittent impulsesof the pump I4 and thereby causing smooth flow of reagent through theconduit I2 to the mixing zone I5, and this smooth flow is accuratelyproportioned to the quantity of oil passing through the conduit I0.

The desired result of smoothing out the flow of reagent is accomplishedby interposing in the line of ow of liquid through the conduit I2 aclosed reservoir I6 o-f fairly large capacity as compared to the size cfthe conduit I2, and this reservoir is many times the volume of liquiddischarged by a single impulse of the pump I4. Thus. the body of liquidmaintained between the control point of the pump I4 and valve I'I ismany times l the volume fed in a single impulse of said pump.

Liquid flowing through the conduit I2 passes into the reservoir I6 andtends to fill this reservoir gradually. This tendency to fill thereservoir is the result of provision of a normally closed valve Ilbetween the reservoir I6 and the mixing zone I5. The valve Il maycomprise a pair of valve plugs I8 which coact with valve seats 2l in theconduit I2, forming a valve assembly of the balanced type. The valveassembly includes a housing I9 connected to the conduit I2, and thevalve stem 20, which is connected to the plugs I8 and reciprocateswithin the housing. The upper end of the valve stem 20 is secured to themoving member of a uid pressure motor 2 I, which may comprise a housing22 having a flexible diaphragm 23 secured at its outer edges to thehousing. A conduit 24 is secured to the upper end of the housing 2I, andthis conduit is secured at its opposite end to the upper end of thereservoir I6. A spring 25 is interposed between a part of the housing I9and a collar 26 on the valve stern 20, and this spring normally urgesthe valve plugs I8 into seating engagement with the valve seats In theoperation of the apparatus. oil is passed through conduit Il, includingthe metering device II. 'Ihe flow of oil through this meterautomatically causes reagent to be passed through conduit I2 insuccessive impulses proportioned to the now of oil. After the reagenthas filled the portion of the conduit I2 between the pump I4 and thevalve I'I, this reagent will rise in the reservoir I6, since the valveI1 prevents passage o! reagent into the section I2' of the conduit I2 atthis stage of the operation. As the level of the reagent in thereservoir I6 rises, the air in the upper part of this reservoir and inthe conduit 24 will be compressed, thereby imposing substantial pressureupon the top of the disc or membrane 23. When the liquid rises in thereservoir to a sufiicient extent to overcome the pressure of the spring25 tending to hold the valve plugs I 8 in closed position, the membrane23 and valve stem 26 will descend under the influence of the pressurefrom conduit 24 and cause the valve plugs I8 to move to open position,thereby permitting the liquid to flow from reservoir I6 into the sectionI2' of the conduit I2 and into the mixing zone I5, After this stage ofthe operation isreached, there will be a tendency of the valve I'I toclose as the liquid descends in reservoir I6 and to open asthis liquidascends in the reservoir I6. Sinc'e a substantial pressure is attainedin the reservoir I6 before the valve II is operated to open position,however, the uctuation in the position of the valve plugs I8 due tointroduction of successive increments of liquid into the pipe I2 fromthe pump I4 will be relatively slight, and the intermittent ow of,liquidfrom pump I4 into conduit I2 will be converted into a steady streamleaving the reservoir I6.

After equilibrium has been fairly established as discussed above, anysubstantial decrease in the rate of flow of liquid from the pump I4 willbe compensated by a corresponding' diminution in the degree of openingof the valve II, and any substantial increase in such rate of flow willbe compensated by a corresponding increase in the opening of said valve.Thus, after equilibrium is established, if the rate of flow from thepump I4 to the reservoir I6 is decreased, the first tendency will be forliquid in the reservoir I6 to pass through the valve I1 at a greaterrate than the rate of passage from the pump I4 to the reservoir I6. Thisresults in a lowering of the level of liquid in the reservoir I6, withcorresponding decrease lof pressure in the top of that reservoir. and inthe rconduit 24. This decrease in pressure permits the spring 25 toactuate the valve plug Il toward closed position, the extent of suchactuation depending upon the level to which the liquid in reservoir I6has fallen. If the diminished rate of ow is maintained substantiallyconstant, the valve plug I8 will ultimately reach an adjusted positionadapted to maintain a fairly steady flow of liquid into the mixing zoneI6 at this diminished rate. Conversely, if the rate of ow of liquid fromthe pump I4 is increased, the valve plug I8 will be moved away from itsseat, due to increase of pressure in the top of the reservoir I6 and inthe conduit 24, as will be readily understandable from the abovediscussion.

While the invention has been described speciilcally in its relationshipto proportioning apparatus of the type illustrated in my prior Patents2,009,890 and 2,058,889, it will be understood that the invention isapplicable in the solution of various proportioning problems involvingconversion of intermittent feed into continuous feed, and even ofproblems other than proportioning problems involving the necessity for asimilar operation.

Various modiiications will be obvious to those skilled in the art, and Ido not therefore wish to be limited except by the scope of the followingclaims.

I claim:

l. In a liquid feeding system, the combination comprising, a conduit,means for feeding a liquid in intermittent impulses through saidconduit, a reservoir interconnected with said conduit and adapted toreceive liquid fed intermittently therethrough, a valve in said conduiton the downstream side of said reservoir, means for holding said valvenormally in closed position to prevent flow of liquid through saidconduit past said valve, and means associated with said valve and saidreservoir for actuating said valve to open position to a degreedepending upon the quantity of liquid in said reservoir uponaccumulation of a predetermined quantity of liquid in said reservoir.

2. In a liquid feeding system, the combination comprising, a conduit,means for feeding a liquid in intermittent impulses through saidconduit, a reservoir interconnected with said conduit and adapted toreceive liquid fed intermittently through said conduit, a valve on thedownstream side of said reservoir, means for holding said valve normallyin closed position to prevent flow of liquid through said conduit pastsaid valve, a fluid pressure motor associated with said valve foractuating said valve to open position to a degree depending upon thequantity of liquid in said reservoir, and means for operating said fluidpressure motor to actuate said valve to open position upon accumulationof a predetermined quantity of liquid in said reservoir.

3. In a liquid feeding system, the combinationY comprising, a conduit,means for feeding a liquid in intermittent impulses through saidconduit, a reservoir interconnected with said conduit and having asubstantially closed upper end extending upwardly from said conduit,said reservoir being adapted to receive liquid fed intermittentlythrough said conduit, a valve in said conduit on the downstream side ofsaid reservoir, means for holding said valve normally in closed positionto prevent ilow of liquid through said conduit past said valve and meansresponsive to development of a predetermined pressure by compression ofthe gas in the upper end of said reservoir for actuating said valve toopen position to a degree depending upon said pressure.

4. In a liquid feeding system, the combination comprising, a conduit,means for feeding a liquid in intermittent impulses through saidconduit, a reservoir interconnected with said conduit and adapted toreceive liquid fed intermittently through said conduit, said reservoirhaving a substantially closed ,upper end adapted to constitute i an airspace at the upper end of said reservoir, a valve in said conduit on thedownstream side of said reservoir, means for holding said valve normallyin closed position to prevent flow of liquid through sa-id conduit pastsaid valve, a fluid pressure motor operative to.oppose saidlastmentioned means and actuate said valve to open position, and aconduit interconnecting the upper end of said reservoir and said iluidpressure moasoasss 3 tor for actuating said iiuid pressure motor tovalve opening position to a degree depending upon the pressure upondevelopment oi' prede? termined pressure in the upper end of saidreservoir.

5. In a liquid feeding system, the combination comprising, a conduit.means forfeeding a liquid in intermittent impulses through said conduit,a reservoir interconnected with said conduit and -adapted to receiveliquid fed intermittently there- 10 through, a. valve in said conduit onthe downstream side of said reservoir, means for controlling the degreeof opening of said valve to control the ow of liquid throughA saidconduit past said valve, and means responsive to accumulation of liquidbeyond a predetermined amount in said reservoir for actuating said'last-mentioned means.

LEO D. JONES.

. z CERTIFICATE oF coRREcTIoN. y Pa'tent No. 2,502,555. November 17,19m.A

LEO D. JoNEs.

It ishe'reby certified that 'error eppears in the Printed specificationofthe above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2,secondl column, lineos 58 to MO, claim' 2, strike cnt the words "to adegree depending upon the quantity of liquid in said reservoir" andinsert the same after "position" in line 142; and that -the seid LettersPatent shouldv be of the case in the Patent Office.

signed and sealed this 16th da? of March, A. D. 19kg.

(Seg-1) Henry Van Arsdale,

Acting Commissioner .of Patents.

